based on what? he's an AHL rookie in his D+1 with a third of a season played and after a slow start has 13 points in his past 18 games and was starting to get some time on the first line just prior to the world juniors

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Based on everything you just said! Does that sound like a player set for the first line in the NHL? Or does that sound like a player that might get fist line min in the A next year? I like him as well but no hes not a slot it in first line player sorry.

Big E needs to go asap & you want him back in 2 yrs? He's old, slow & 3rd pairing now, injury prone, imagine what he'd be like in 2+ yrs. when his "new contract extension" were to kick in...I shudder to think of such a scenario.

You have Hronek on the 3rd in 2+ yr & saddled with Big E. Ouch.

Green is having a good but injury prone season again, his best as a RW for sure...but 2 yrs. from now he'll be 35 to start the '20-'21 season and probably rapidly declining. No thanks. Besides we'll need the $$ for at least one of Josi/Petro/Trouba.

Personally I wouldn't go after any top UFA's.
I'd sign Jensen, but I'd try to move him at the deadline.

Howard, I would re-sign. 2 years, 5 million max. Also, trade this year.

Sign targets:

Darren Archibald
Tim Heed
Brooks Macek

Don't make any long-term commitments.

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Agreed with the bolded

...but why would you target (3) 26-28 yr. old scrubs/minor leaguers ? 2 of them shoot R so that's the only plus other than league minimum salaries, what is the upside? what is your thought process?

If anything we are at a place in our rebuild where we should be looking at Duchene ($6.5-$8max) x 5-6 yrs...he'll likely get better term & possibly more than $8, but we shouldn't be paying that. I'd do $7Mx7yrs if that's what it took, or $8x6yrs.

Compensation: 2 firsts, a second and a third. Would you make the offer as GM? Would Tampa match?

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considering we're bottom of the league our firsts are invaluable and giving up two of them would be disastrous imo

It could make sense for some teams who are just one center away, but even then the price is so steep. We don't see many offer sheets for a reason haha. In such a scenario you are truly mortgaging the future.

Since we're rebuilding, the expectations are still low, and we have a (somewhat) competent veteran goalie in Bernier locked up, I'd prefer if we tried out a twenty-something dark horse in net. I've lost track of how many times I've watched goalies become household names after being no-names or afterthoughts well into their 20s. Three guys I'd be interested in:

Lehner, 27 (UFA) - May not make it to free agency but he's always had a ton of raw talent. Took some time to battle his demons but he's been lights out since. Has a .920+ save percentage in 3 of his past 4 seasons. Like the idea of having a big but athletic goalie in today's NHL.

Brossoit, 25 (RFA, WPG) - Would require a trade (Trouba + Brossoit, anyone??) but he shouldn't cost much on his own. Doesn't have a lot of NHL experience but having a great year in WPG and looks poised to break out. Another big goalie.

DeSmith, 27 (UFA) - Not a lot of NHL experience but his numbers are great thus far. Held down the fort while Murray got his **** together. Could be another late bloomer ready for a platoon role.

Since we're rebuilding, the expectations are still low, and we have a (somewhat) competent veteran goalie in Bernier locked up, I'd prefer if we tried out a twenty-something dark horse in net. I've lost track of how many times I've watched goalies become household names after being no-names or afterthoughts well into their 20s. Three guys I'd be interested in:

Lehner, 27 (UFA) - May not make it to free agency but he's always had a ton of raw talent. Took some time to battle his demons but he's been lights out since. Has a .920+ save percentage in 3 of his past 4 seasons. Like the idea of having a big but athletic goalie in today's NHL.

Brossoit, 25 (RFA, WPG) - Would require a trade (Trouba + Brossoit, anyone??) but he shouldn't cost much on his own. Doesn't have a lot of NHL experience but having a great year in WPG and looks poised to break out. Another big goalie.

DeSmith, 27 (UFA) - Not a lot of NHL experience but his numbers are great thus far. Held down the fort while Murray got his **** together. Could be another late bloomer ready for a platoon role.

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I could see Lehner happening if Howard isn't back and he hits the market,there was some talk about the Wings being interested in him last offseason before they ultimately ended up going with Bernier instead and he's had a good season this year thus far,I can't see the Islanders letting him go at this point though for that same reason so he'd have to want out

Howard will probably be back though,i'll be somewhat surprised if it's not Howard/Bernier again next year

Since we're rebuilding, the expectations are still low, and we have a (somewhat) competent veteran goalie in Bernier locked up, I'd prefer if we tried out a twenty-something dark horse in net. I've lost track of how many times I've watched goalies become household names after being no-names or afterthoughts well into their 20s. Three guys I'd be interested in:

Lehner, 27 (UFA) - May not make it to free agency but he's always had a ton of raw talent. Took some time to battle his demons but he's been lights out since. Has a .920+ save percentage in 3 of his past 4 seasons. Like the idea of having a big but athletic goalie in today's NHL.

Brossoit, 25 (RFA, WPG) - Would require a trade (Trouba + Brossoit, anyone??) but he shouldn't cost much on his own. Doesn't have a lot of NHL experience but having a great year in WPG and looks poised to break out. Another big goalie.

DeSmith, 27 (UFA) - Not a lot of NHL experience but his numbers are great thus far. Held down the fort while Murray got his **** together. Could be another late bloomer ready for a platoon role.

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I wonder what we’d have to send for Trouba + Brossoit... You’d have to think Winnipeg would want Hronek+Mantha/AA to even start the conversation.

I wonder what we’d have to send for Trouba + Brossoit... You’d have to think Winnipeg would want Hronek+Mantha/AA to even start the conversation.

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I'll offer Helm(some salary retained)+AA, and maybe a mid round pick.

all of that depends on how confident WPG is on re-signing Trouba to a long term contract.
AA would thrive there, and I feel like he doesn't really like it here. (maybe holdout bias on my part) and Helm is a hometown kid for them, and would be a great 3rd liner for them.

A) Extend him with pricy extension and let UFA Myers walk (because extending both is impossible because of the huge Wheeler/Laine/Connor raises), bring in young cheap kids like Niku and Samberg.

They'll have a great TOP3 still with Morrissey + Byfuglien + either Trouba/Myers.

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I think you're vastly overrating Myers... The consensus I gather from Jets fans is that they cringe if he's allowed to go anywhere in the lineup higher than the 3rd pair.

There seems to be a pretty huge gap between Morrissey/Trouba/Byfuglien and the rest of their D, so the Jets would probably be looking to add some kind of cost controlled or affordable 2nd pairing option if Trouba is gone.

Which is why I'm betting a Trouba to Detroit return would start with Cholowski or Hronek and then have some other futures tacked on.

The Jets are loaded at wing, so I doubt they'll have interest in AA/Mantha unless the wings are taking on a lesser winger with some salary/term in exchange.

he has a very clear path to becoming a UFA next year if that's the route he wants to take just by filing for arbitration this year

if that happened it would send a very clear signal that he's interested in at the very least testing the market and I wouldn't be surprised to see him traded over the offseason while he still has decent value and the Jets have time to rearrange the team

I think a consolation prize to potentially missing out on Duchene ($7-$8.5+)? on a likely 6-7 yr. deal would be Kevin Hayes. He's having a career year (UFA), but his 5-on-5 production is excellent, like Larkin! He has 23 EV pts in 39 gp + 7 PPP + 3 SHP on a crap NYR team. He's also huge 6'5/216lbs. and will be 27 in May.